"It may be because I live in a hideously safe and contained middle-class world, where a person's sexuality is not an issue, but when I hear of people in the media coming out, I think, why do they even feel the need to mention it?" Hammond told The Sunday Times.

"It is so old-fashioned to make a big deal of it. That isn't even an interesting thing to say at a dinner party any more."

Of course, it wasn't long before his comments were picked up by social media users, and they weren't very happy with what the TV presenter had to say (and used strong language to prove it):

Oppression of LGBT people is still real. It still exits. It still costs lives. Being out and proud is just one way we can tackle and deal with discrimination and oppression. Try discussing that between courses at your dinner parties Richard Hammond. 💁🏻‍♂️ https://t.co/ZI1s3fYja6

Why do we feel the need to mention it, @RichardHammond? Because someone like @MarkFosterSwim coming out provides a role model for a young LGBT person who might be struggling to come to terms with their sexuality.

i hate martin freeman/richard hammond type homophobes who say they're fine with gay people, but they just don't want us to ~~flaunt it~~ or talk about being gay ever. your homophobia is not even thinly veiled, at this point